FROM THE EDITOR

SPRING INTO MSLEXIA

Welcome to our spring-into-summer issue. We have eagerly embraced the season that melts freezing winter snows (where applicable): along with our New Writing theme of ‘The Garden’ – your prose and poetry stealthily selected by award-winning crime novelist Val McDermid – we have an eloquent feature by poet Anna Woodford on her recent writer’s residency at The Alnwick Garden (complete with one of the poems she composed there). In other features, Anna Ralph explores the birth of a writer’s voice, and Kathryn Heyman reflects on the re-birth of her novel, Captain Starlight’s Apprentice, as an adaptation for radio. And speaking of adaptations, have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your novel adapted by Hollywood? Danuta Kean has spoken to writers and producers to find out how the intricacies of book-to-screen adaptations really work – or don’t – and some of their stories may surprise you.

Elsewhere, Tracy Chevalier, whose latest novel, the William Blake-inspired Burning Bright, has just been published, explains the dilemmas around getting started: how do you decide what is going to go into those first crucial novel paragraphs? Martina Cole reveals the dark treasure hidden in her Bottom Drawer, and Emma Brockes exposes what’s on her bedside table, old coffee cups and all.

There’s still time to enter our Poetry Competition: get inspired with our Penelope Shuttle interview and Eva Salzman’s Making A Poem (not to mention our Ten Top Tips!).

Jenny Newman’s fantastic nine-tutorial novel writing course will be wrapping up soon; don’t miss out on her practical advice on how to tackle Writer’s Block. Then start your spring and summer with some fresh, new writing of your own – and enjoy the sun!

Daneet Steffens
Editor